Bottoms up

Chapelle Lenclos Madiran, Newton Forrest Gimblett Gravels, Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Merlot. Photo / Supplied

Killing cancer cells, protecting the heart, preventing dementia and even boosting a woman's libido, wine's health-giving properties are increasingly making it seem like a wonder drug. But can a glass of wine a day really keep the doctor away?

Much has been said about the so-called French paradox: the observation that while both the French and Americans have a diet high in saturated fats, significantly fewer French die from heart disease. This has been linked to the fact that unlike the Americans, the French wash down many of their rich repasts with a good glug of wine.

This phenomenon could be connected to other healthy aspects of the Mediterranean diet, which serves up plenty of fresh veg as well as vino, or a more laid-back lifestyle with less of the stress that can lead to heart disease. However, research is increasingly suggesting that there's something to be said for wine, with its regular and moderate consumption put forward as potentially able to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 50 per cent through lowering blood pressure, helping prevent blood clotting and reducing bad cholesterol.

It may also increase your lifespan, with moderate wine drinking linked to a reduction in many causes of mortality, appearing to protect against age-related illnesses such as dementia and diabetes.

Wine seems to increase blood flow around the body. This has been connected to findings of a study by University College London, that suggested wine can get the grey matter working better and a recent Italian trial that discovered a higher sex drive in ladies partial to a glass of red wine or two.

Greater disagreement surrounds the connection between wine (and alcohol in general) and breast cancer. Some scientists claim that drinking one glass of red wine a day helps ward off breast cancer, while others maintain that risks rise from just one drink a day. Reviewing all the evidence available, wine and health specialist at the Boston University Medical Center Professor Harvey Finkel concluded that "the influence, if any, of even moderate drinking on the risk of breast cancer remains unclear, and, at worst, small".

Polyphenolic compounds have been identified as the good guys in wine; they are antioxidants that not only aid circulation, but can stave off stomach nasties from gastritis and ulcers to many cancers. New studies also indicate that they may not only help inhibit cancer formation but could actually kill cancer cells too.

All wines are not equal when it comes to their health-giving properties. As polyphenols are found in the skins of grapes, their levels can be six times higher in red wines, which are fermented with their skins, than in whites, which are not.

Thick-skinned varieties such as tannat, cabernet sauvignon and malbec deliver a particularly high dose. However, following a project in Rioja, whose traditional grapes are largely thinner-skinned, the producers involved managed to clock up the highest levels of the polyphenol resveratrol ever recorded in a wine, up 79 per cent on the last record amount.

Researchers in Israel have also managed to enhance the polyphenol count of white wines through leaving crushed grapes with their skins for 18 hours prior to fermentation. While they claim it tastes like regular white, this technique is certainly not suitable for all styles, making it unlikely we'll see polyphenolically enhanced sauvignon blanc in the future.

There's still no conclusive proof that wine is good for you and plenty that if you drink too much it's most definitely detrimental.

However, the epidemiological evidence is compelling and I'd certainly like to think that something that tastes so wonderful could also be doing me good as well.

Polyphenolic power
Chapelle Lenclos Madiran, France 2002 $38.60

Made from tannat, one glass of which, according to its GP-owned importer provides the same heart benefits as two bottles of New World red. But it's a great wine in its own right with power and concentration in its spicy, charry, juicy blackberry palate whose tannins have mellowed with maturity. (From Waipu Off Licence, FWC Gourmet Foods, selected New World stores, La Cantina.)

Doctor's drink
Newton Forrest Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Malbec 2006 $35

The slow ripening of grapes and high UV levels in New Zealand should mean higher polyphenol levels, but you should be drinking this mouthfilling malbec from Dr John Forrest's Hawkes Bay partnership, for its beautiful brooding dark fruit and notes of rum truffley spice. (From Caro's, Village Winery.)

Looking good
Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Merlot Malbec Cabernet 2007 $22.99

Due to its quality in 2007, there's more cabernet than usual in this vintage of Esk Valley's consistently classy red blend with its dark berry fruit, savoury earthy undertones and hint of bouquet garni. Now sporting new packaging. (From Foodtown, Woolworths, Countdown and premium liquor outlets.)